Mortal Combat
by ElementalEquestrian
Summary: Skulduggery and Valkyrie have to solve yet another murder. If they don't, the world falls into chaos, and everyone dies. No pressure.
1. The Perfect Murder

Valkyrie Cain walked on to the scene of the murder, shocked and angry. Her head was bent down, her long, dark hair falling into her face. She refused to let anyone see her eyes, for they were red-rimmed and filled with tears. How could anyone have done this? _Why _would anyone _want _to do this?

Her tears were caused by the fear she felt, not so much the sadness. That didn't change the fact that she was sad about it, but if he could die, what would happen to the rest of them? If someone had murdered this man, the man now staring blankly into the early dawn sky, then the rest of the world stood no chance. And the worst part: there were no visible signs of a struggle. It was as if he had simply…_died._ Just like her Uncle Gordon. But Gordon hadn't died of natural causes, even though that's what normal doctors said. He had been murdered by Serpine.

"Thoughts?"

Valkyrie sniffed hard and turned around slowly, still staring at the gravel under her booted feet. She slowly shook her head. She refused to look up. Not even for him. She sniffed again and held back a fresh wave of tears. She couldn't remember ever crying this hard.

And when she felt Skulduggery Pleasant wrap his thin, strong arms around her, she broke down. She sobbed into his coat shoulder. He didn't say anything- he just held her shaking form. When she had finally calmed down was when he resumed speaking.

"Valkyrie, I know this is hard. It's hard for all of us. But I need you to stay focused. Please."

Valkyrie sniffed again and pulled away from his body, looking up for the first time since she got the news. Her watery eyes took in his face. She would die if something happened to him.

He was right off course- when was he not?- she had to stay focused. If the killer had so easily made his first murder, it would be no trouble at all to take out the whole country. In fact, as the sun was rising, all of Ireland was in chaos. The murder hadn't even happened 3 hours ago, and yet it still had already turned the world upside down.

She had known him for awhile, but they hadn't really talked much. He was like family to her, but she was afraid of him. Everyone was scared of him. But knowing that he wouldn't be at the Sanctuary anymore…

"I'm sorry," she began. "I'm just in shock. Do you have any idea how this could have happened?"

"Not one clue- yet. But I'm full of ideas- I'll figure it out," Skulduggery said. Valkyrie coughed, giving him a death glare.

"I, erm, mean WE will figure it out," he corrected quickly. Valkyrie grinned.

"What was he even doing out here? I mean, who comes out to the middle of nowhere?"

Skulduggery shook his head. "If only I knew. I suggest we head back to the Sanctuary. I suppose we could also ask China. She's bound to have heard rumors or know of some information that could clear this up. Let's go before we lose too much time. The Cleavers will deal with his body."

So Valkyrie and Skulduggery walked away from the crime scene, side by side, leaving the dead man in the grass. The Cleavers had already arrived to take away his body.

Valkyrie paused as her hand grazed he handle of the Bentley. She felt as if she were missing something important. Something very important.

"Skulduggery," Valkyrie exclaimed suddenly. "I'll be right back."

"Where are you going?" he yelled after her, but she ignored him. He sighed as he watched her form retreat back to where they had been five minutes ago. When would she ever learn to listen to him?

Valkyrie scanned the ground near the body for ten minutes. She walked in circles around it, slowly making the circle bigger each time. Her eyes darted across the ground before finally picking up on what she was looking for. Sure enough, thousands of little cracks scarred the earth.

Excited by her discovery, she ran back to the Bentley, ready to share her discovery. Skulduggery could sense her excitement, but before he could even ask what she had found, she was already blurting it out.

"Sanguine was here!"

"That doesn't explain how he managed to execute the perfect murder, though," Skulduggery pointed out.

"Well then, let's get to China's!" Valkyrie exclaimed, hopping into the Bentley, slamming the door. Skulduggery clenched his fists and sighed.

"How many times have I told you not to slam the door?"

"Countless," she responded. "But does that stop me? No it does not. So get your bony ass into the driver's seat and let's get out of her!"

Skulduggery sighed, but did as he was instructed too. And as he turned the key and began to drive away from the crime scene, Valkyrie managed to get one last look at the limp form that used to be Mr. Bliss.


	2. The POA

**So here is chapter two! I'm glad you guys like it so far! **

The second the black Bentley was parked outside of China's library, Valkyrie and Skulduggery were darting up the stairs. If Billy-Ray Sanguine was involved, he could be _anywhere._ They had to find him- and fast.

Valkyrie ran up the last flight of stairs, Skulduggery right behind her. She pounded her fist on the door of the library until the man with the bow tie finally answered.

"We need to talk to China _immediately,_" Valkyrie rushed. The man sighed and shook his head.

"As you can imagine, Ms. Sorrows is not feeling very talkative. I will have to ask you to return another day."

"It's alright, let them in."

Valkyrie looked over the man's shoulders and noticed China Sorrows standing, leaning against a bookshelf, a book tucked under her arm.

"I trust that the Sanctuary has their _best _detective and his partner working on my brothers…._murder_," She choked out. "God forbid that despicable _Crux_ is even considering working this case-"

"China," Skulduggery interrupted. "We need some information."

China Sorrows sighed. "Yes, of course. Please forgive me. This has just been a shock."

"China," Valkyrie said. "We are all shocked that _Mr. Bliss_, of all people, would die like this. And all we know is that Sanguine is involved. We need all the information we can get."

China turned and walked down a row of books. "Well, what is it you are looking for?"

"Was there anything _odd_ about Mr. Bliss at times? Did he act odd? Was he hanging out with any _shadowy _figures?" Skulduggery asked.

Valkyrie yelped in surprise as she walked into China. China had stopped and was staring blankly at one bookshelf in particular, but nothing was on it. Valkyrie also noticed that she had never been in this part of China's library. There was something scary about this part. It was dark, empty, and smelled old. Valkyrie stepped closer to Skulduggery.

"China?" Skulduggery asked. "What is it?"

"My brother and I were very close. There was a time, however, back when we were younger, that he seemed to disappear. I hadn't talked to him in years. I later found out what had happened to him. I wanted nothing to do with him after that."

"China?" Valkyrie asked. "What happened?"

China started to fiddle with what seemed to be a loose part of the shelf. Valkyrie could hear pops and squeaks of protest from the old wood.

"I cannot fathom reliving those memories," she stated simply.

"But China- we need every clue we can get!" Valkyrie cried out. Skulduggery put his hand on Valkyrie's shoulder.

"We'll be in touch," he stated simply, as he turned with Valkyrie towards the door. They were walking down the long row of shelves, towards the lighter, friendlier part of the library, leaving China behind to deal with her sorrow.

They exited the library in silence. Neither one of them spoke, until they got into the Bentley.

"We need to get China to tell us what was going on with Bliss," Valkyrie stated. "But what do we do?"

"China is not one to trust others with the secrets of her past."

"But, Skulduggery, we need to know."

"So what do you suppose we do to make sure we get the information we need?"

Valkyrie paused. Her face twisted into horror when she realized what he was implying.

"Skulduggery, no! We can't just…"

"But we must," he interrupted her.

"I presume you have a plan? One that won't have us arrested?"

Skulduggery paused, putting his full attention on the road. He finally answered as he pulled up in front of Valkyrie's house.

"No guarantees, but I know what I'm doing."

Valkyrie smirked. "So when well this 'trip' take place?"

"I'll come get you at midnight. We break into China's library at midnight."


	3. The Crime

Valkyrie was sitting on the edge of her bed, tapping her foot on the floor, occasionally glancing at her phone's clock. It was five minutes till midnight. Five minutes until they broke into China's library.

Valkyrie got up and walked over to the window. She didn't care if she was early. She opened her window and slid through it. She closed it and jumped down to the ground, displacing the air to cushion her landing. She sprinted to the end of her driveway. There she got into the waiting, black Bentley.

"Are you ready?" Skulduggery asked as he sped away from the curb. He wasn't wearing his disguise.

"Yeah," Valkyrie said. "Because I'm always ready to break into someone's most prized room."

Skulduggery chuckled. "I'm sensing some tension."

"Skulduggery," Valkyrie said, turning towards the skeleton. "How are we even going to do this? Surely it's protected by God only knows what!"

"I've done my research Val," Skulduggery reassured her. "And, surprisingly, no symbols protect it. It's just an ordinary security system."

"Really?" Valkyrie exclaimed in shock. "But what's the plan? How do we get in?"

Skulduggery glanced over at her. "Do you remember when we first met? That first night we spent together?"

Valkyrie cocked an eyebrow and suppressed a smile that threatened to break across her face.

"Oh, dear God Val! Not like that!"

"I know," she responded, "But of course I do! How could I forget?"

"Remember how we broke into the museum?" Skulduggery prompted.

Valkyrie though back to the night she had first encountered vampires. She nodded.

"But China's library doesn't have any skylights," she argued.

"But it has air vents."

Valkyrie smiled. Of course Skulduggery had a plan! He always did. Her smile faded though when she realized something.

"Skulduggery," she began, "What is so important? Why do you want to go back? Did it have something to do with where in China's library we were in?"

Skulduggery nodded.

"But what is it?"

"What was China tinkering with while she was talking to us?"

"An empty shelf."

"But what if it's not really empty?"

"Skulduggery, I swear, what are you talking about!"

"You'll see soon enough."

The Bentley continued gliding down the road, cutting through the dark streets like a bullet. Skulduggery parked across the street, pulled a bag out of the back seat, and placed it on Valkyrie's lap. Grappling hooks, wire, and ropes were inside.

Valkyrie followed Skulduggery across the street. They ran as fast as they could, gaining momentum, then pushed down on the air. They landed on the roof of the building, and ran towards the air conditioning duct, and slipped in.

_This is it,_ Valkyrie thought, _we are really breaking into China's library. _


End file.
